Grand Rapids, MI Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- urinating/defecating in public
- Exception
- public restroom facilities
- Chapter
- 152, Property Offenses
- Enforcement
- misdemeanor offense
Summary
Grand Rapids makes it illegal to urinate, defecate, or perform any act creating a hazardous or unsanitary condition in a public place or on someone else's property; the ban doesn't apply inside actual public restrooms.
(9)Urinate, defecate or perform any other act which creates a hazardous or deleterious condition in any public place or upon the property of any other person. This subsection shall not apply to public restroom facilities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 9.133(9), part of the Property Offenses ordinance in Chapter 152, prohibits urinating, defecating, or performing any other act that creates a hazardous or deleterious condition in any public place or on another person's property. The subsection expressly exempts public restroom facilities, so using an actual restroom is not a violation. The offense sits alongside other property-offense bans like trespassing, prowling, and vandalism in Chapter 152, Article 1 of the Code.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 9.133(9) is prosecuted as a misdemeanor offense under Chapter 152's disorderly-conduct provisions, enforced by the Grand Rapids Police Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Grand Rapids?
Does the Grand Rapids ban apply inside a public restroom?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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